Jyothi Yarraji pens emotional note after withdrawing from Asian Games 2026 due to injury
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Jyothi Yarraji shared a heartfelt message on Instagram.
Jyothi Yarraji broke her silence a day after being withdrawn from the women’s 100m hurdles at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
The 27-year-old addressed the setback in an Instagram Story, identifying the injury herself, opening up about how difficult it was to step away and thanking the federation for its continued support.
Yarraji was scheduled to run the opening-round heats at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Saturday. She felt pain during her warm-up and never reached the starting line. She was listed as DNS (Did Not Start).
An Athletics Federation of India (AFI) official told PTI that the pain came after she had fully warmed up, and then she decided not to race. Early reports mentioned a minor knee strain. She had joined the 75-member Indian athletics squad only after getting last-minute fitness clearance.
RELATED: Asian Games 2026 – Why did Jyothi Yarraji withdraw from women’s 100m hurdles heats?
The AFI said in a statement, “Jyothi was fit and trained fully throughout the preparatory camp. During her warm-up for the women’s 100m hurdles today, she felt discomfort, and the coaching team decided to withdraw her from the race as a precaution. Her long-term fitness comes first.”
The exit means she cannot defend the silver medal she won at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. It also came after a hard stretch.
Yarraji tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee in July 2025 and had surgery. She returned to competition only in June 2026 at the Indian Championships in Bhubaneswar, running the hurdles and the 200m.
In the fourth week of August, she finished third in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting in Bhubaneswar. However, she did not finish the 100m final at the same event and subsequently missed the Indian Athletics Final Series in New Delhi.
Now, she has spoken, providing further insight into the setback.
What did Jyothi Yarraji say after withdrawing from Asian Games 2026?
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Yarraji began with the dream she came to chase. “So much hard work, so many sacrifices, and one dream: to win an Asian Games gold medal. I prepared for this moment with everything I had, but unfortunately, got hamstring injured,” she wrote.
She then spoke about the decision to step away. “Walking away from something I dreamed about is never easy. My team and I did everything we could, but sometimes sport teaches you that not everything is in your hands.”
Her message about her career in the past two years was the strongest part. “2025 and 2026 haven’t gone the way I wanted, but I refuse to let these moments define me. I still believe in myself, my ability, and the journey ahead.”
She closed by thanking the federation. “Thank you to the Athletics Federation of India for standing by me and providing such strong support and training facilities. I’m truly grateful, from the bottom of my heart.”
Yarraji still holds the Indian national record in the women’s 100m hurdles with a personal best of 12.78 seconds.
Why did Jyothi Yarraji withdraw from the Asian Games 2026?
She felt discomfort during her warm-up before the women’s 100m hurdles heats on Saturday and did not start. The AFI called it a precaution, saying “her long-term fitness comes first
What did Jyothi Yarraji say after her exit?
She wrote on Instagram: “I refuse to let these moments define me. I still believe in myself, my ability, and the journey ahead.” She also thanked the AFI for its support.
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